Apto Commercial Real Estate Blog

Ask any broker: Nurturing potential clients takes finesse. Come on too strong or offer too little value, and you’ll be rebuffed. Short but sweet emails are ideal for introducing yourself to prospects and setting the stage for an ongoing relationship.

Unfortunately, you aren’t the only one sending emails to prospects. In order to get a response, your message must first stand out enough to get noticed in your prospect’s overflowing inbox. And once your email is opened—if it gets opened—it better be worth your prospect’s time, or you’ll be filed under spam.

To help you write an email that gets results, we’ve outlined the elements of a successful prospecting template you can use to fill your sales pipeline with future clients.

Begin with a little research

Before you send anything, look up your prospect on social media, do a Google search, or ask around. There’s nothing worse, or more easily ignored, than a cold email that shows you’ve merely copied and pasted a generic message. Include something personal to show your prospect you aren’t just mass emailing everyone who attended a recent conference, but rather you’re genuinely interested in supporting their business.

Don’t Say: Time for a quick chat?

Do Say: We both attended the XYZ conference last month

Craft an interesting subject line

The equivalent of an in-person introduction, your email subject line is the first impression you make with a prospect. Now is not the time to try to trick them into opening your email by pretending you already know each other. Instead, write a subject line that piques their interest by sharing something related to them and what you discovered through your research.

Don’t Say: Bob, your input needed by the weekend

Do Say: 4 ways to maximize your office space budget

Keep your message brief

Think of this email as your elevator pitch. Your prospects are scanning your emails at best, so keep it short. Begin by saying something about the prospect, introduce yourself, give an overview of the benefit you’re offering to the prospect, provide a clear call-to-action (CTA), and offer a piece of valuable content. (For an example of an email using this structure, see the sample email below.)

Don’t Say: We haven’t had the pleasure of meeting in person but I am a commercial real estate broker with 10 years of experience in the Denver area. I am reaching out to introduce myself to see if we can connect and discuss XYZ.

Do Say: I saw your name in the Business Journal and I would love to connect.

Provide value

Your focus should be on creating a connection with your prospect. The key is the “give to get” approach. Provide information they will find timely and relevant. Resist the urge to sell them your services right off the bat. Instead, focus on offering your help with nothing in return.

Don’t Say: I am confident you will find our firm to be a cut above the rest.

Do Say: Check out the enclosed article on 2019 Commercial Real Estate trends.

Use a clear CTA

Obviously, you’re not just sending an email to send an email. To get on your prospect’s calendar, suggest a concrete time to connect. Or to make it clear the ball is in their court, ask a close-ended question.

Don’t Say: I am available to talk by phone or meet in person whenever it’s most convenient for you.

Do Say: Do you have 10 minutes to catch up tomorrow?

Be sure to follow up

Of course, every broker worth his salt knows that the fortune is in the follow-up. After you send your first email, be sure to follow up. With CRM software, you can prioritize your follow-ups to be sure you connect at the right time with the right information.

Sample Prospect Email

Subject Line:

Office properties near you coming up for lease soon

Email Body:

Dear [NAME],

I saw your profile in the Business Journal and would love to connect. I see your company is located near several properties I know will be coming up for lease soon.

At XYZ brokers, we know the Denver market like no other commercial real estate firm. We excel at finding flexible options for growing companies like yours.

Heather is a freelance writer who has written more sales emails for clients than she can count. She also spent much of her childhood checking out real estate with her father, a commercial real estate attorney.